Thursday, October 1, 2026
Janet McIntosh Straley died on Nov. 20 at the Scalabrini Health Center in North Kingstown, R.I. She was 85.
Straley was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 24, 1928. She attended South Side High School in Rockville Centre and Middlebury College (class of 1950) in Middlebury, Vt. and married her high school sweetheart James Franklin Straley (deceased), also of Rockville Center, on Dec. 30, 1950. Janet and Jim lived in Rockville Center, raised four children and stayed active in the community and her church, The Church of the Ascension. She moved to East Greenwich in 2002 to be closer to her daughter Pam Soule. She was a member of the East Greenwich United Methodist Church.
She will be remembered for her love of learning — she was an avid reader and would discuss almost any topic of interest to the people around her. She enjoyed her summer home at Big Moose Lake in the Adirondacks, where she played tennis, swam and watched the sunset from the dock every evening. Big Moose Lake was and still is a gathering place for family and friends, and Janet was always a gracious and comfortable hostess.
She is survived by her sister-in-law Harriet Clowes; her son Michael Straley and his wife Candi; son Peter Straley and his wife Donna, and their four children Beck (and wife Emily), Ross, Evan and Alex; son David Straley and his wife Tess; and daughter Pam Soule and her husband Jon and their two children Megan and Ryan.
A Memorial Service will be held in East Greenwich, R.I. at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to the East Greenwich United Methodist Church, 1558 South County Trail, East Greenwich, RI 02818 or View (a non-profit multi-arts center) at viewarts.org or mail to View, PO Box 1144, Old Forge, NY 13420 (c/o Leslie Bailey, Development Coordinator).
